Semiconductor plating system for plating semiconductor object
Provided is a semiconductor plating system for plating a semiconductor object with a desired layer. The semiconductor plating system include a plating tank configured to accommodate a plating solution for use in plating the semiconductor object, and a plating solution induction device configured to induce the plating solution to spirally flow toward the semiconductor object.
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A claim of priority is made to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0127202, filed on Dec. 13, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Field
Example embodiments of the present invention may relate to a semiconductor plating system, and more particularly, to a semiconductor plating system for plating a layer on a semiconductor wafer to improve the uniformity of properties of the plating layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a semiconductor plating system is used to plate a semiconductor object, such as a semiconductor wafer, with a desired plating material such as copper. The metal layer is formed on the wafer by an electrochemical reaction, when a plating element contained in a plating solution between two electrodes is induced.
The semiconductor plating system is widely used because properties of a plated metal layer plated using this system has been better than those of a metal layer formed using other methods, for example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process.
Referring to
The plating tank 1 usually has a cylindrical shape with an open top portion. The plating tank 1 includes a plating solution space S in which a plating solution 4 for reacting with a semiconductor object 3, for example, a semiconductor wafer W, is accommodated. A plating solution outlet 1a is disposed through an upper circumferential surface of the plating tank 1.
The plating solution supply pipe 2 is installed through a bottom surface of the plating tank 1 and supplies the plating solution 4 to the plating solution space S.
The semiconductor object 3, for example, the semiconductor wafer W, is provided in the open top portion of the plating tank 1 and brought into contact with the plating solution 4.
In this arrangement, the semiconductor wafer W may be plated with a plating element of the plating solution 4, the plating element being induced by one electrode (not shown) installed under the plating tank 1 and the other electrode (not shown) installed at the top portion of the plating tank 1.
The plating solution 4 is supplied to the plating tank 1 through the plating solution supply pipe 2. After reacting with the semiconductor wafer W, the plating solution 4 may be discharged through the plating solution outlet 1a and re-circulated for another processes or for disposal.
The plating solution 4 is provided vertically upwards from the plating solution supply pipe 2, flows in a radial direction from a center of the semiconductor wafer W toward the edge thereof, and is discharged through the plating solution outlet 1a. However, in the conventional semiconductor plating system, the pressure of the plating solution 4 is concentrated on the center of the semiconductor wafer W as shown in
More of the plating solution 4 flows to the center than to the edge of the semiconductor wafer W as can be seen in
Referring to
There have been attempts to separately regulate the flow rates of a plurality of plating solution supply pipes to control the flow of a plating solution to a semiconductor wafer. These semiconductor plating systems require complicated and expensive apparatuses, and conditions under which a variety of apparatuses can operate together must be found by trial and error.
SUMMARYExample embodiments of the present invention may provide a semiconductor plating system that can improve the uniformity of properties (e.g., plated thickness, shape, and roughness) of a layer plated on a semiconductor object.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor plating system for plating a semiconductor object may include a plating tank configured to accommodate a plating solution for use in plating the semiconductor object, and a plating solution induction device configured to induce the plating solution to spirally flow toward the semiconductor object.
The above and other aspects of example embodiments may become more apparent explanation of the detail example embodiments of the present invention thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
A semiconductor plating system according to example embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the present invention are shown.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Example embodiments may be described herein with reference to cross-section illustrations that may be schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures). As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, the example embodiments should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient of implant concentration at its edges rather than a binary change from implanted to non-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantation may result in some implantation in the region between the buried region and the surface through which the implantation takes place. Thus, the regions illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the example embodiments.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Referring to
The plating tank 11 may include a plating solution space S in which a plating solution 4 for plating a semiconductor object 3, e.g., a semiconductor wafer W, is accommodated. The plating tank 11 may have a cylindrical shape with an open top portion. Also, a plating solution supply pipe 12 may be disposed through a center of a bottom surface of the plating tank 11, a plating solution outlet 11a may be formed through an upper circumferential surface of the plating tank 11, and an electrode 6 may be installed near the plating solution supply pipe 12.
The plating solution induction device 20 may be used to spirally induce the flow of the plating solution 4. Thus, even if a semiconductor wafer W is fixed to the open top portion of the plating tank 11, a plated layer formed on the semiconductor wafer W may have better uniform properties.
The plating solution induction device 20 may induce the plating solution 4 to spirally flow to the semiconductor object 3. Referring to
Referring to
In addition, the spiral induction protrusions 22 may be rounded protrusions 222 having a round section as shown in
Therefore, in the semiconductor plating system according to example embodiments of the present invention as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Therefore, when the plating solution 4 passes through the narrowing portion P1 of the plating solution spray nozzle 21, the pressure of the plating solution 4 increases, so that the plating solution 4 flows at a high rate. Then, when the plating solution 4 is flowing through the widening portion P2, the pressure of the plating solution 4 decreases and the flow of the plating solution 4 expands towards the spiral induction protrusions 22 and is induced to the vicinity of the spiral induction protrusions 22. Thus, the spiral flow of the plating solution 4 may be facilitated.
Referring to
In this case, the pressure of the plating solution 4 in the narrowing portion P11 can increase at a higher rate, and the pressure of the plating solution 4 in the widening portion P22 can decrease at a higher rate.
A variation in the diameter of the narrowing portion P11 and a variation in the diameter of the widening portion P22 may be adjusted based on a narrowing port P3 to control the flow of the plating solution 3.
The above-described spiral induction protrusions 22 may be formed using a screw cutting process or a screw forming process.
Referring to
Referring to
For example, if the spiral flow of the plating solution 4 in the plating tank 11 is too fast near the center of the semiconductor wafer W and is too slow near the edge of the semiconductor wafer W, the cut-off member 30 may be disposed in a middle portion of the plating tank so that the flow of the plating solution 4 may be controlled.
Referring to
The propeller 40 may be installed using a bearing 50 such that the propeller 40 is capable of rotating the flow of the plating solution 4.
Thus, the plating solution 4 vertically ejects through the plating solution supply pipe 2 and collides with inclined blades 41 of the propeller 40 to rotate the propeller 40. The propeller 40 is affected by the moment of inertia and continues to rotate, which further induces the plating solution 4 to spiral.
The above-described propeller 40 may be installed in the plating tank 11 using the bearing 50 such that the propeller 40 is capable of freely rotating. As illustrated in
The shape and number of the inclined blades 41 may be varied.
Referring to
By use of the at least two propellers 401 and 402, the spiral flow of the plating solution 4 may be more precisely induced and controlled.
Referring to
A rotation body 406 may be a gear (not shown) or a rotation body with a rubber contact surface. Although not shown in the drawings, a variety of power transmission systems, e.g., a pulley with a belt, may be used as the rotation body 406.
Referring to
When a measured thickness of a plate at a center of the semiconductor object 3 (e.g., the semiconductor wafer W) is greater than a measured thickness at an edge of the semiconductor wafer W, the center propeller controller 408 may apply a low-speed rotation signal to the center propeller 407 and the edge propeller controller 410 may apply a high-speed rotation signal to the edge propellers 409. As a result, a uniform plated thickness may be formed on the entire semiconductor wafer W. Namely, the center propeller 407 will rotate at a slower speed than the edge propellers 409, and the plating solution will increase the plated thickness at the edge of the semiconductor wafer W.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In the example embodiments illustrated in
Referring to
The spiral flow of the plating solution 4 may be primarily induced by the plating solution spray nozzle 21 and secondarily induced by the propeller 40.
When a plating solution spray nozzle 21 as shown in
A flow analysis was carried out by conducting a simulation using Fluent V6.2, which is a simulation program, under laminar flow conditions by supplying water at a flow rate of 35 liters per minute. Thus, the results shown in
In the above-described flow analysis as shown in
The semiconductor plating systems according to example embodiments of the present invention may be applied not only to an electroplating process but also to an electroless plating process.
According to the semiconductor plating system as described above, the properties (e.g., plated thickness, shape, and roughness) of a plated layer formed on a semiconductor object may be more uniformly formed, and the semiconductor object may be fixed to a plating tank without rotation. Furthermore, the semiconductor plating system according to the example embodiments may easily induce a plating solution to spirally flow using a simple apparatus and avoid detrimentally affecting any subsequent processes.
While example embodiments have been particularly shown and described with reference to example embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A semiconductor plating system for plating a semiconductor object, the system comprising:
- a plating tank configured to accommodate a plating solution for use in plating the semiconductor object; and
- a plating solution induction device configured to induce the plating solution to spirally flow toward the semiconductor object.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating solution induction device comprises:
- a plating solution spray nozzle having an elongated shape vertically fixed at a bottom portion of the plating tank, the plating solution spray nozzle having an output orifice, and the output orifice having spiral induction protrusions formed on an inner diameter surface thereof.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the spiral induction protrusions include one of a square protrusion having a square section, a rounded protrusion having a rounded section, a triangular protrusion having a triangular section, a lozenge-shaped protrusion having a lozenge-shaped section, an elongated bent plate protrusion having a curvedly bent section, and a combination thereof.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plating solution spray nozzle comprises:
- a narrowing portion having a diameter which becomes smaller along a flow direction of the plating solution to increase the pressure of the plating solution passing through the narrowing portion; and
- a widening portion having a diameter which becomes larger along the flow direction of the plating solution to decrease the pressure of the plating solution passing through the widening portion.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the diameter of each of the narrowing portion and the widening portion varies in proportion to a distance by which the plating solution flows.
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the diameter of the narrowing portion rapidly decreases and then gradually decreases, and the diameter of the widening portion rapidly increases at first and then gradually increases.
7. The system of claim 4, wherein the flow of the plating solution is controlled by adjusting a variation in the diameter of the narrowing portion and a variation in the diameter of the widening portion.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the plating solution spray nozzle further comprises:
- a spiral rod having spiral induction protrusions formed thereon.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plating solution spray nozzle further comprises:
- an internal nozzle including spiral induction protrusions disposed on both inner and outer surfaces thereof, the internal nozzle provided concentrically between the spiral rod and the plating solution spray nozzle.
10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
- a cut-off member installed in the plating tank to partially cut off the spiral flow of the plating solution.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating solution induction device comprises:
- at least one propeller disposed in the plating tank.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one propeller is a motorless propeller installed in the plating tank.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one propeller is driven by a motor, the motor rotating the at least one propeller in response to a rotation signal output from a controller.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein a rim of the propeller is operationally connected to a rotation body, and the rotation body is configured for rotation by the motor.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the plating solution induction device comprises:
- a forward propeller having forward blades; and
- a backward propeller having backward blades installed approximate to the forward propeller.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein the plating solution induction device comprises:
- a center motorized propeller installed to correspond to a center portion of the semiconductor object;
- a center propeller controller configured to rotate the center motorized propeller;
- at least one edge motorized propeller installed to correspond to an edge portion of the semiconductor object; and
- an edge propeller controller configured to rotate to the edge motorized propeller.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating solution induction device comprised:
- a plating solution spray nozzle, the plating solution spray nozzle including a propeller disposed therein.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the propeller is a motorless propeller disposed in the plating solution spray nozzle using a bearing.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein the propeller is driven by a motor, the motor rotating the propeller in response to a rotation signal output from a controller
20. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating solution induction device comprises:
- a plating solution spray nozzle having an elongated shape vertically fixed at a bottom portion of the plating tank, the plating solution spray nozzle having an output orifice, and the output orifice having spiral induction protrusions formed on an inner diameter surface thereof; and
- at least one propeller installed over the plating solution spray nozzle.
21. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating solution induced by the plating solution induction device forms a spiral shape, and the spiral flow of the plating solution approximates instantaneous velocity coordinates (1, 1, 1) in x-, y-, and z-axis directions.
22. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating tank further comprises:
- a wafer rotation device for rotating the semiconductor wafer.
23. The system of claim 1, wherein the plating tank comprises:
- a cylindrical shape with an open top portion;
- a plating solution supply pipe installed through a center of a bottom surface of the plating tank;
- a plating solution outlet disposed through an upper circumferential surface of the plating tank; and
- an electrode installed on an inner bottom surface of the plating tank near the plating solution supply pipe.
24. The system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor plating system is an electroless plating system.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 16, 2007
Publication Date: Jun 19, 2008
Applicant:
Inventors: Cha-jea Jo (Suwon-si), Joong-hyun Baek (Suwon-si), Hee-jin Lee (Seongnam-si), Ku-young Kim (Seoul), Ju-il Choi (Suwon-si)
Application Number: 11/984,402
International Classification: B05C 5/00 (20060101);